Wedging-block for shipbuilding



R. SANCHEZ.

-WEDG|NG BLOCK FOR SHIPBUILDING.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.29. 1919.

UNITED STATES RUFO SANCHEZ, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

WEDGING-BLOCK FOR SHIPBUILDING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A119. 2-1, 1920.

Application filed December 29, 1919; SeriaINo. 348,116.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUro SANCHEZ, a subject of the Kingdom of Spain, residing at Newark,in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VVedging- Blocks for Shipbuilding, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the art of ship building, and particularly to the keel blocks or wedge blocks, as they are called, which are disposed beneath the keel of the vessel being constructed, and which are knocked out or forced out from beneath this keel prior to the launching of the'vessel.

These keel supportingblocks, when in position with the keel of the vessel resting upon them, are subjected to a pressure often times ashigh as 90 tons to each block, and it is obvious, therefore, that it is a difficult matter to knock out these blocks from beneath the keel so that the vessel may settle down upon the ways preparatory to launch-' ing, and that it is also a difficult matter to insert theseblocks; beneath the keel and drive them into place.

The general object of this invention is the provision of a peculiarly constructed keel lock or wedging block so formed that it may. be readily inserted beneath a keel or readily removed from beneath a keel, and particularly to provide a wedging block formed inthree sections, the upper and lower sections being normally spaced from each other and held in their spaced relation by an intermediate, wedge-shaped member, the angle of whose faces is relatively high so that the resistance to the driving out of the wedge blocks is relatively slight.

And a further object is to provide means for locking the three sections of the wedge block in place in proper position to each other so as to prevent any sliding movement of the wedge blocks with relation to each other, this means, however, being capable of being driven out of' locking position so as to permit the sections to slide upon each other, in other words permit the interme diate wedge'like portion to be driven-out sufficiently to permit the upper and lower sections to move toward each other, reduce the thickness ofthe wedge block, and per mit its ready removal.

Other objects will appear in the courseofthe: following description.

My invention is illustrated in the acconr panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an end. view of a wedging block constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. 1, but showing the wedging block in its contracted condition; H r

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the wedging block shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. at is a plan view of one of the keys 16.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seenthat my improved wedge block comprises three sections 10, 11 and 12. The section 10 may be considered the base section andhas a fiat, lower face, which in practice will be disposed in horizontal position, and the upperface 13 is downwardly inclined from one end to the other, one-half of the face being disposed in a plane offset from the plane of the other half of the face to provide ashoulder ll midway of the block. The upper section 11 has a flat, upper face, while its lower face is inclined in the same manner as the face of the section 10, and also formed to provide a shoulder 1 1. These two sections are disposed in practice so that their confronting faces are angular with reference to each other. Between the two sections 10 and 11 is disposed the intermediate section 12. This section is approximately wedge-shaped, that is is large at one end and is relatively small at the other, and bus the upper and lower faces are divergently inclined with relation to each other, and the sections are so disposed that, the lower and upper faces of section 12 are parallel to the upper face of the lower section 10 and the lower face of the upper section 11 respectively. The upper and lower faces of the sections 12 are also formed with shoulders 15 which confront the shoulders id of the upper and lower sections, but these shoulders are so disposed with reference to the length of the block that when the blocks are in use, a shoulder 14; will be spaced from the corresponding shoulder 15 of the intermediate section. lnsertible in these upper and lower spaces are transverse wedges 16. These members '16 are preferably slightly tapered, though I do not wish to be limited to making these members 16 tapered, and are disposed oppositely to each other; Preferably, metal plates 17 having lateral flanges 18 are I ders 14 abut against the shoulders 15.

disposed on the confronting faces of the sections as illustrated in Fig. 1, and this is particularly necessary where the sections are made of soft wood. 3

In the use of this devicc,the three sections are disposed as illustrated in Fig. 1, with the wedges or transverse members 7 16 111' out, it is a relatively easy 'ter to drive the intermediate member 12 outward until the shoulders 1.5 strike the shoulders 14 of the upper and lower sections. This action :of driving the intermediate section 12 outward will, of course, permit the section 12 to lower upon the inclined face 13 of the lower block and thesection 11 to lower upon the upper, inclined face of the intermeriate memberso that the total height of'the-sections is very greatly reduced, asillustrated in Fig. 2. Then, of course, the block as a whole may be removed, because the shoul: If it be 1 desired to insert a wedge block beneath the keel or other; member, the sections are placed upon each other inthe position shown in 2, that is in their relatively contracted position, and the block then inserted beneath the keel or other member, and then the members 16, which, in this case should be in the form of wedges, are inserted between the shoulders 14 and 15 and driven home,which will thus drive the intermediate section 12' in a direction to wvedge the'sections and 11 away from each otherand thus increase the height of the complete block until it fully supports the vessel. 7 7 1 It will be seen that the angle of the confronting faces of-eitlier of the sections 10 1 and 11 or the section12 isrelatively' great, and that the movement offthe section 12 is not frictionally resisted to a very great extent. If this intermediate section 12 were not used, but the sections 11 and lO were placed reversely upon each other,; or in other words if the sectlon 12 had'a flat-top supported the work, the angle would be relatively low and there would be such friction on the two sectionsbccause of the pressure on'them, that it would be very dillicult t0 shift thcvsectionswith relation to each other.

It will'beseen that the transverse members V 16 lock the sections from any shifting move- 60" ment so that as long as these members 16 are in place and there is weight on the upper section, it is practically impossibleto shift the'section 12 and thus reduce the total heightof the block. By drivingv out these transverse members 16, however, the con duced, as before described.

and i on the nection of the sections to each other is released and then the section 12 may be driven outward'w'ith" relation to the sections 10 and 11v and the total height of the block rethat the section 12 has a very easy movement upon the adjacent sloping surfaces of the sections 10and11 without requiring lateral movement of 'either of the sections 10 or 11. A v f T he manner in which these blocks are to be used is as follows: The bottom of the ship'way is on an, even plane, either hori zontal or on a slightgrade. Tl e heel of tie vessel,- however, is higher at each end than in'the middle. A foundation of 12x12 inch timbers is built up at intervals throughout thelength of the keel and a wedgin block herein described is-placed on each or these timber foundations at the required height for the laying of the heel and the substructure of the vessel according to plan. Be-

.ween the time of thejlayingef the heel and the launching of the vessel, it becomes necessary to have access to the bottom of the boat at different, times for the purpose of placing rivets, painting, etc. it such times, it is customary to remove one timberfoundation at 'a time and do whatever work is necessary in the area which has been supported on this foundation. VWhen this workis finished, the timber foundation and the wedging blocks are replaced and the operation repeated at the next point. 7' This wedging block asdescribedis designed to provide an easy and economical method of placing, replacing and removing them. .As there are from to 100 of these blocks used under each vessel, it is obvious it is particularly necessary that they should be removed easily and replaced easily, and that they should not slip when in place, that is. that the wedge-shaped sections should not slip upon each other when in place' Iclaim: V 1. A. wedging block of the. character described comprisingthree sections, the lower section having itsupperT;face'inclined up- 7 ward, then extended downward to form a 7 p per secticnhaving its under face inclined and rested upon the section 10 and directly downward, then extendedrupward to form a shoulder, then inclined downward, the inclined face of the upper section being convergently related .to the inclined face of the lower section, and an intermediate section having convergently-relatedupper and lower faces, each face from the butt-end of the section extending inward toward the other end of the section, then, outwardto form a shoulder, andthen inward to theother end of the section, the shoulders on the upper. and lower sections confronting the shoulders on theintermediate section, and transverse members disposed between the t is to be noted scribed comprising three sections, the lower Y section having its upper face inclined upward, then extended downward to form a shoulder and then inclined upward, the upper section having its under face inclined downward, then extended upward toform a shoulder, then inclined downward, the inclined face of the upper section being convergently related to the inclined face of the lower section, and an intermediate section having convergently related upper and lower faces, each face from the butt end of thesection extending inward toward the other end of the section, then outward to form a shoulder and then inward to the other end of the section, the shoulders on the upper and lower sections confronting the shoulders on the intermediate section, and transverse, wedge-shaped members disposed between the confronting shoulders of the intermediate section and upper section and of the intermediate section and lower section to thereby lock the sections from lateral movement with relation to each other, the removal of said transverse members permitting said movement of the sections.

3. A wedging block of the character described comprising three sections, the lower section having its upper face inclined upward, then extended downward to form a shoulder and then inclined upward, the upper section having its under face inclined downward, then extended upward to form a shoulder, then inclined downward, the inclined face of the upper section being convergently related to the inclined face of the lower section, and an intermediate section having convergently related upper and lower faces, each face from the butt end of the section extending inward toward the other end of the section, then outward to form a shoulder and then inward to the other end of the section, the shoulders on the upper and lower sections confronting the shoulders on the intermediate section, and transverse locking members disposed between the confronting shoulders of the intermediate section and the upper section and of the intermediate section and the lower section to thereby lock the sections from lateral movement with relation to each other, and metallic wear plates between the inclined, confronting faces of the sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RUFO SANCHEZ. 

